The hardcore Mario Kart racing game is here. Does it have what it takes to stand above all of the other racing games? Let’s fire the blue turtle shell to see if this game hits the mark.

Good

Car Selection: There are a ton of cars to choose from and they are separated into four different classes (A,B,C,D).

Multiplayer: Multiplayer is where the real challenge starts. Everyone is very aggressive and they tend not to miss opportunities to send you all the way back into last place. Unfortunately, there aren’t too many players at the moment this review was written. I found myself almost endlessly searching for a game and there were only 28 players online. I was really tempted to put this section in the bad portion of this review. Fortunately, when I finally managed to join a game with actual players in it, I had quite a bit of fun. I faced a lot of skilled opponents. Basically, if you can find someone to play with it’s an enjoyable experience.

Unlocks: The player unlocks challenges by obtaining a certain amount of lights. Lights are rewarded when you manage to complete each event and some optional objectives. In addition, when you get a certain amount of fans you unlock new cars for each class. This mechanic adds a lot of obstacles to each race. It gives each player a challenge and it keeps them replaying certain events to get as many fans and as many lights as possible.

Also, you have to unlock every car again in multiplayer. This is both frustrating and fun at the same time. It’s annoying because I beat the entire single player game, unlocked every car, and then I found out I had to start all over again. On the upside you feel like playing the game again since there is a sense of accomplishment for every race online.

Power Ups: The power ups really add to the game and make it challenging. Each power up has two different functions. Usually, that just boils down to fire forward or fire backwards, but other power ups, such as the NOS power up, require a bit more skill to use correctly.

Driving: Each car handles differently and you get a real sense of speed when driving.

Bad

Graphics: The game looks okay in some areas, but most of the time there are low resolution textures all around you. Fortunately, the game “Blurs” most of it, so it’s hard to notice it in motion for the most part.

Customization: There aren’t any upgrades to each car. You can’t change your engine or anything like that compared to games like Need for Speed. You can change each car’s color and put some mods in which adds to each power up. However, some cars are even more limited. A select few vehicles won’t let you add a mod or even let you change the car’s color.

Story: Racing games really don’t need a story, but needless to say, the story was below average. Beyond unlocking the next car or getting to the next event there isn’t an incentive to actually beat your rivals. You don’t feel engaged by anyone you are up against. Even in the last event your opponent pats you on the back and congratulates you. There wasn’t enough development to present the player with a real purpose in this racing world.

Conclusion

Blur really engages the player, and encourages the player to rank up and continue their progression to the top. At no point was I really bored with what I was doing. There was always a new car to unlock and a new race to be conquered. It is lacking in some areas, such as car customization, but all of that can be forgotten. The amount of cars to choose from, power ups to tackle your opponent, and the amount of fun you will have with the game makes up for most of the flaws you may find.